Varane tops readers' defender of the season:

Real Madrid's Raphael Varane has been named the best defender of the 2012-13 season by Goal readers.

Barcelona may have regained the Liga title from Real Madrid last season, but Varane helped inspire Jose Mourinho's side to the Copa del Rey final, scoring twice against their rivals in a 4-2 aggregate win.

The Frenchman, who recorded 24.19 per cent of the vote conducted by readers of Goal International, finishes ahead of Andrea Barzagli, Thiago Silva, and Bayern Munich pair Philipp Lahm and Dante. To hear our reaction to your vote, watch the video at the top of the page.

We will name our 50 best players from last season on July 29, and Varane will hope to be higher than last year's top defender, Ashley Cole, who finished in eighth spot in the 2012